The Pluperfect Tense for Narrating Sequences of Past Events - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

14 original exam-style questions - 4 pages of questions with a full mark scheme - free printable PDF.

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This topic is chapter 8 of GCSE French: Grammar Practice Book.

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1.8 The Pluperfect Tense for Narrating Sequences of Past Events

AQA 8652 · about 25 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Accents and the cedilla are used throughout; reproduce them correctly in your answers. Complete the tasks below in French where requested. Use full sentences where indicated. Time guidance: 30 minutes. Note: the pluperfect is higher-tier extension content within AQA GCSE French; foundation students should still be able to attempt auxiliary-choice and basic agreement items.

Choose the correct past participle to complete the pluperfect clause in this travel sentence: Nous avions déjà ____ la valise quand il a téléphoné (options: A mis, B allé, C venu). Name the correct option letter.

A mis
B allé
C venu

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Choose the correct past participle to complete the pluperfect clause in this family sentence: Elle avait déjà ____ la lettre avant le diner (options: A écrit, B parti, C tombe). Name the correct option letter.

A écrit
B parti
C tombe

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

Complete the pluperfect clause in this narrative about a school trip: Je ____ déjà déjeuné quand le bus est arrivé.

(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)

Multiple choice: which full pluperfect sentence is correct for this context? 'When we reached the cinema, the film had already started.' Options: A Quand nous étions arrivés, le film avait déjà commencé. B Quand nous sommes arrivés, le film avait déjà commencé. C Quand nous arrivions, le film avait déjà commencé. Choose the best option letter.

A Quand nous étions arrivés, le film avait déjà commencé.
B Quand nous sommes arrivés, le film avait déjà commencé.
C Quand nous arrivions, le film avait déjà commencé.

(Total for Question 4 is 2 marks)

Complete the pluperfect clause in this family story: Avant de déménager, elle ____ déjà vendu sa voiture.

(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)

Complete the pluperfect clause in this narrative about arrival: Quand nous sommes arrivés, le magasin ____ déjà fermé.

(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)

Complete the pluperfect clause in this story about a friend: Avant que je la voie, elle ____ déjà quitté la bibliothèque.

(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)

Complete the pluperfect clause in this short report about a match: Le joueur ____ déjà marqué deux buts avant la mi-temps.

(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)

Complete the pluperfect clause in this combined sequence. The second clause is in the perfect tense and is already given. Fill the left-hand pluperfect blank correctly: "____ déjà préparé le repas quand il a sonné à la porte." Write the auxiliary and participle needed for the pluperfect clause (two words).

(Total for Question 9 is 3 marks)

Correct the two mistakes in this sentence about a meeting. The sentence should use the pluperfect for the earlier action and correct past-participle agreement where needed: "Elle avait allé déjà quand je suis arrivée." Rewrite the corrected clause or sentence in full.

(Total for Question 10 is 2 marks)

Spot and correct the past-participle agreement error where a preceding direct object requires agreement: "Les photos que j'avais pris étaient floues." Rewrite the corrected clause or sentence in full.

(Total for Question 11 is 2 marks)

Translate into French the sentence that requires the pluperfect to show the earlier past action: "By the time I arrived, they had already left." Provide a natural French sentence using the pluperfect.

(Total for Question 12 is 3 marks)

Translate into French this two-clause sentence that sequences an earlier action (pluperfect) before a later past action (perfect): "After she had written the email, she called her manager." Provide a natural French translation using the pluperfect for the earlier action and passé composé for the later action.

(Total for Question 13 is 4 marks)

Combine these two English clauses into one French sentence that shows the correct sequence using the pluperfect for the earlier action and the perfect for the later action: "He had already finished the homework before his sister arrived." Produce one natural French sentence.

(Total for Question 14 is 4 marks)

Mark scheme · 1.8 The Pluperfect Tense for Narrating Sequences of Past Events

Question 1

B1 A mis correctly chosen as the past participle of mettre, matching the context 'mettre la valise' (we had already packed/put the suitcase)
Answer: A mis

Question 2

B1 A écrit correctly chosen as the past participle of ecrire appropriate for 'la lettre'
Answer: A écrit

Question 3

B1 avais correctly supplied as the imperfect auxiliary for j'avais déjà déjeuné
Answer: avais

Question 4

B1 correct choice B selected which uses the perfect for the later action 'nous sommes arrivés' as in the context and the pluperfect 'le film avait déjà commencé' for the earlier action
B1 recognition that A uses étions (imperfect) which is odd with the perfect/pluperfect pairing here, and C uses arrivions which is imperfect and not the natural choice for a completed punctual arrival
Answer: B Quand nous sommes arrivés, le film avait déjà commencé.

Question 5

B1 avait correctly supplied as the imperfect auxiliary for elle avait déjà vendu
Answer: avait

Question 6

B1 avait correctly supplied as the imperfect auxiliary for le magasin avait déjà fermé
Answer: avait

Question 7

B1 avait correctly supplied as the imperfect auxiliary for elle avait déjà quitté
Answer: avait

Question 8

B1 avait correctly supplied as the imperfect auxiliary for avait déjà marqué
Answer: avait

Question 9

B1 imperfect auxiliary correctly supplied: avait
B1 past participle correctly supplied: préparé (past participle of préparer is préparé)
B1 full logical combination implied: avait préparé correctly forming 'avait déjà préparé le repas'
Answer: avait préparé

Question 10

B1 use of the correct auxiliary être instead of the incorrect 'allé' formation: elle était
B1 correct past participle with feminine agreement: allée (so full pluperfect clause elle était déjà allée)
Answer: Elle était déjà allée quand je suis arrivée.

Question 11

B1 correct past participle agreement: prises (adding -es to pris to agree with les photos, feminine plural)
B1 full corrected sentence given: Les photos que j'avais prises étaient floues
Answer: Les photos que j'avais prises étaient floues.

Question 12

B1 correct auxiliary in imperfect of être for 'they' (ils/elles) supplied: ils/elles étaient
B1 correct past participle with agreement if needed: partis/parties
B1 full natural sentence: "Quand je suis arrivé(e), ils/elles étaient déjà partis/parties." or equivalent natural word order
Answer: Quand je suis arrivé, ils étaient déjà partis.

Question 13

B1 correct connector for sequencing: Après qu' / Après (avec infinitive if rephrased) or equivalent natural French phrasing
B1 pluperfect of ecrire correctly formed: elle avait écrit
B1 perfect tense for appeler correctly formed: elle a téléphoné (or elle a appelé)
B1 full natural sentence given, for example: "Après qu'elle avait écrit le courriel, elle a téléphoné à son responsable."
Answer: Après qu'elle avait écrit le courriel, elle a téléphoné à son responsable.

Question 14

B1 pluperfect of finir correctly formed: il avait fini
B1 perfect tense of arriver correctly formed for the later action: elle est arrivée
B1 correct sequencing connector: avant que / avant que sa soeur n'arrive / avant l'arrivée de sa soeur or 'avant que sa soeur n'arrive' rendered appropriately
B1 full combined sentence e.g. "Il avait déjà fini ses devoirs avant que sa soeur n'arrive."
Answer: Il avait déjà fini ses devoirs avant que sa soeur n'arrive.

The Pluperfect Tense for Narrating Sequences of Past Events - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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1.8 The Pluperfect Tense for Narrating Sequences of Past Events

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